SEVIER, FOOL NELSON, CHILLY BIN | EL GROTTO | 26/03/2021

El Grotto is a a small to medium size music venue with in the heart of Scarborough with endless tequila and a crowd that keeps on coming, proving to be a great place to host tonight's acts; Chilly Bin, Fool Nelson and Sevier.  As the sun set over the water front and the line out front grew, the venue got ready for a heaving night of Indi Rock and enthused punters.

As Chilly Bin hit the stage no nerves were to be seen as the lead singer dove into the first song of their set with 'Hey Umpire'. Discovering that it was the lead guitarist's first gig with Chilly Bin was impressive, the addition of a delicious guitar solo towards the end reminded me of the Kooks and their indie/rock tones were a great way to get the night started. Chilly Bin held the crowds attention for the remainder of their set as they jumped up and down until the last chord wrapped up the high energy environment. Who knows, chilly bin could be playing next to the chats on future bills.

When indie/rock stylers Fool Nelson hit the stage, they started strong keeping up the high energy from the previous bands set. Their first track finished with a slow end to allow them to introduce the band and have a short chat with the crowd. Bringing the punters closer with 'Easy' you can easily see why this band has grabbed themselves a 45 minute set time. Towards the end of their set they performed their newest single 'Solace', creating a relaxing yet upbeat atmosphere that would be perfect to listen to when you have some downtime to unwind.  My prediction with this band is that they will be making big waves in 6 months to a year's time.

Bringing in the crowd from outside and turning heads at the bar from the moment he stepped onto the stage, Sevier delivered his signature Hip-hop/Indie style to the patrons of El Grotto. He took control of the atmosphere and fully immersed the crowd thanks to his natural flow and stage presence as well as packing the room to its brim which really was a sight to behold. Chilly Bin and Fool Nelson stuck around to catch the set, enjoying the wonderful high notes sung by Matt Sevier himself alongside the catchy guitar riffs, rock tones and smooth bass lines.

Sevier brought this energetic and upbeat night to a close with the performance of tracks from his latest double single 'Blue II'. Featuring'20 Something' and 'Air', these 2 tracks are little gems and you could listen to them anywhere. These songs really deserve a massive amount of air time. If you're looking for some new music for a summer's day Sevier is a definite add to the play-list that shouldn't be skipped over!!

​Joshua Thomasson